In February 2024, the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) board voted unanimously to approve a pilot program that will open nearly seven miles of trails on Mt. Tamalpais to mountain bikers. The pilot program is set to begin in October 2024. Land use and access have been a major debate in Marin County for decades, and the experiment represents a big step forward for the mountain bikers of Marin.
The approval of the pilot program will open up new trails, including narrow single-track trails that have historically been hiker-only. The program also includes initiatives that will study the impact bikes have on newly-opened trails.
Senior and Archie Williams mountain biking team captain Felix Shuldiner thinks the pilot program will serve as a predictor for future trail access.
“What better way are you going to [find out] whether or not [opening the trails to bikes] endangers hikers and destroys the trails?… Not to mention that the trails [will be] getting a bunch of much-needed maintenance,” Felix said.
The Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) has advocated for mountain bike trail access in Marin for over 25 years. Off-Road Advocacy Director Krista Hoff attests to the importance of the pilot program’s approval.
“[The program] allows [the MMWD] to have a temporary and controlled introduction of allowing bikes and E-bikes on certain trails so that they can monitor how visitors’ experiences are impacted by bikes on these shared trails,” Hoff said.
Hoff believes pilot programs such as this one will benefit the community and help to spread bikes out across different trails in the watershed to reduce crowding.
Despite the popularity of mountain biking, there is still resistance to shared trail access. Concerns about the speed differential between bikes and other trail users were highly discussed during the fight for the approval of the pilot program, especially from the equestrian community. Felix thinks the trails selected for the pilot program are not a cause for serious concern.
“As far as equestrians go, many of these trails are rarely ridden by horses. Furthermore, these trails are, for the most part, difficult and technical trails which automatically slow down riders, keeping speeds, especially around corners, in check for those [once in a] blue moon encounters,” Felix said.
Hoff dismisses the other main concern around shared trail access and environmental disruption, countering that bikes create minimal damage and disruption to trails.
“Studies have shown that bikes have no more impact on trails or habitats than hikers or horses. So I believe that concerns about the impacts on the environment may be overstated,” Hoff said.
Sophomore and Archie Williams mountain biking team junior captain Vesper Klausner, believes this program will broaden biking access and eagerly anticipates the new riding opportunities.
“I’m really excited to add some variety to my rides [and] to go check out some new trails. I think overall it’s just gonna be a really good thing for cyclists in Marin,” Vesper said.
Throughout October and for the foreseeable future the MMWD will monitor the trails included within the pilot program to assess the impacts of bikes. The results of this monitoring will play a role in determining future trail access for mountain bikers in Marin.
